


2/02/2019: Think Global

by pop_incognito



Series: 365 Drabbles [33]
Category: Free!
Genre: Implied/Referenced Underage Sex, Light Angst, M/M, high school era
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-04
Updated: 2019-02-04
Packaged: 2019-10-22 06:38:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply, Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,224
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17657834
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pop_incognito/pseuds/pop_incognito
Summary: Natsuya's flight leaves in the morning.





	2/02/2019: Think Global

**Author's Note:**

> Some lightly angsty Natsunao from that year Natsuya spent in Japan for high school before fucking off again to who knows where.

The cold water hits Nao’s face and he startles, even as he reaches under the running faucet for a second handful. He needs to make the red blotchiness marring his complexion disappear before he goes back to bed, doesn’t want Natsuya to see that he has been crying. Nao shuts the tap off, flicking his eyes up to survey his reflection in the steamed-up mirror. His eyes are red-rimmed and bloodshot, but he can probably pass that off as staying up too late studying for is entrance exam prep. Reaching out for some tissues, Nao blots his face dry and drops the towel around his waist so he can put his pyjamas on.

“Oh,” he murmurs to himself, catching sight of the rest of his body in the mirror hanging on the back of the bathroom door. Still flushed pink from head to toe from the heat of his shower, the colour isn’t enough to hide the dark marks starting to bloom all across Nao’s neck and shoulders, the red handprints on his hips that will probably bruise within hours. He gives himself a wobbly grin and traces his fingers over his skin. This isn’t the first time Natsuya has left him a little marked up during sex – Nao encourages him, wanting as much proof of Natsuya’s presence after spending two whole years waiting for Natsuya to come back home from America. “I’ll have to dig a turtleneck out for tomorrow.”

Thinking about Natsuya and America makes Nao’s eyes burn again, and he curses, turning his back on the mirror and snatching up his clean briefs and the random shirt he had yanked from the draw, stuffing his limbs into the clothes and accidentally getting tangled in said shirt. Nao huffs loudly, earning himself a, “You need a hand in there?” from Natsuya, lounging on Nao’s bed in the next room over.

“No,” Nao grumbles, righting his arms and smoothing the shirt down. He glares at it in the mirror and almost rips it off again, because it’s the stupid ‘I <3 USA’ shirt Natsuya had sent Nao as a present during his first year in the States. Nao is probably going to end up with a whole draw full of them from every country Natsuya decides to grace with his presence. “Damnit,” Nao says, biting his lip, all of his annoyance fading away to be replaced with that hollow almost-sadness that has been clinging to him for the past few days.

Natsuya is propped up against the headboard of Nao’s bed when Nao pads back into his room, his warm, damp feet leaving small steamed patches on the hardwood lining the hallway. “Took your time,” Natsuya says with a playful pout, crossing his arms over his bare chest. “Don’t know why you didn’t want to shower with me.”

“I had my reasons,” Nao says mysteriously, and decides to let Natsuya’s filthy imagination fill in the blanks so that Natsuya doesn’t twig onto the fact that Nao had wanted to shower on his own so he could cry into his washcloth at the thought of Natsuya’s flight the next day. “Now move over, you’re taking up the entire mattress. How many times do I have to threaten you with the futon before you learn these things?” He crawls onto the mattress and flops down on top of Natsuya, pushing his face into Natsuya’s neck and sighing.

Natsuya wraps his arms around Nao’s waist and hugs him tightly, not actually planning on moving anywhere because once Nao settles down somewhere he tends to fall asleep there. “Hey,” Natsuya says after a little while of sweet silence between the two of them, Nao drifting in and out of wakefulness as Natsuya strokes his back. “Nao, why were you crying?”

Nao freezes in Natsuya’s grip, his eyes snapping open in full alertness, and he tries to sit up, to get off Natsuya and hide or something. “I wasn’t,” he says, pulling back against the sudden tightness as Natsuya refuses to let him go. “Natsuya!”

“I can tell,” Natsuya says, his brows creasing, and he nudges at Nao’s temple with nose. “Your eyes are all red – and don’t say that it’s from staying up late studying because I know that’s not true.” Damnit, Natsuya knows Nao too well! Natsuya drags Nao up slightly, Nao’s legs falling apart around Natsuya’s hips as Natsuya hugs his torso, face pressed into Nao’s collarbone. “Did I hurt you? I know you asked me to be a bit rougher than normal, but-”

“You didn’t hurt me,” Nao whispers, settling his flailing hands in Natsuya’s damp curls. “I just…” And that’s the moment in Nao’s life where he decides ‘fuck it’ and that he needs to learn to talk about his issues, or he’s going to cause some kind of dramatical commotion over a stupid misunderstanding. “I cried because I’ve only had you back for eight months, and now you’re leaving again,” he says honestly, voice shaking a little. “And I hate it. I don’t want you to go, but I want you to live your dream too.”

Natsuya chews Nao’s words over, rubbing his cheek over Nao’s chest comfortingly. “You could come with me,” he murmurs, so quietly Nao thinks he might have imagined it. “You could come with me abroad now. Every professional swimmer needs a manager to keep them in line.” He feels his own eyes starting to burn slightly, and blinks a little in shock. “Just imagine it Nao – me and you going global together? We could take over the world.”

“I think you’re overestimating our abilities just a little,” Nao says, voice watery. He tips to the side so he falls out of Natsuya’s lap and clings to Natsuya’s side instead, the two of their faces mere inches apart on the single pillow. He cups Natsuya’s face in a tender hand, not needing his glasses up this close to see every minute shift of Natsuya’s expression. “I love you, but I couldn’t follow you like that. Not now,” he admits, even though it makes his heart clench. “But… I want to go into sports medicine, training, even management, so, maybe one day…?”

Leaning his forehead against Nao’s, Natsuya cuddles him in close, sliding his knee and thigh between Nao’s legs so that Nao can wrap around him completely, arms and legs all tangled together. “You know that I’ll never leave you, right? Even when I’m not physically here, I haven’t left.”

“I know that,” Nao says, voice muffled in Natsuya’s neck.

Natsuya smiles softly, noses under Nao’s cheek until they’re kissing. “You’d better hurry up and get into a good school, and graduate so you can come with me.”

“Just you wait,” Nao says. “I’ll be there before you know it.” He kisses Natsuya one more time. “Now go to sleep. Your flight is at twelve, and I know you’re going to want to sleep in.”

“You’re coming to the airport with me, right?” Natsuya asks, actually sounding a little concerned that Nao won’t be there to say goodbye to him.

“I’ll be there every time you leave, and every time you come back,” Nao promises, “unless you surprise me, of course.”

“That does sound appealing,” Natsuya hums, and it’s the last thing either of them says besides ‘I love you’ until Nao’s alarm clock rings the next morning.

**Author's Note:**

> Please comment and leave kudos!


End file.
